This year's UNICEF Baby Friendly Conference in November will be as diverse as ever, with speakers touching on all aspects of infant feeding and care for new mothers and their babies. One speaker will be Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, Head of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit. Nearly four decades in the police force have taught John that early years intervention and support for vulnerable mothers, in particular, are at the heart of violence reduction, and that to reduce homicide rates we must invest resources in health professionals to support the early years.